Phillies: Low Cost Relief Pitching Options in Free Agency

Brett Cecil, Toronto Blue Jays

This guy picked the wrong time to sink back to mediocrity. Brett Cecil went three straight seasons (2013-2015) posting an ERA below 3.00, then took a step back this year.

That number jumped to 3.93 in 2016, while he also recorded four blown saves and seven losses. My hunch is that the majority of the lefty’s struggles can be attributed to the two injuries he sustained. One of those was a tricep strain to his pitching arm in May, followed by a torn calf muscle in October

While the injuries are certainly a red flag, Cecil’s peripheral numbers actually looked very good, as he set a career high in K/BB ratio of 5.63 and struck out an average of 11.05 batters per nine innings (K/9).

Following the mid-season trade of Brett Oberholtzer, Elvis Araujo is the only southpaw in the Phils’ bullpen right now. If Cecil can return to form, the team’s bullpen will be vastly improved. Plus, the front office will have another valuable bargaining chip.  

Estimated Offer – 2 years/$12 million